The re-release will feature redrawn graphics, that support up to 4k resolutions, widescreen support and a bunch of quality of life improvements (like some changes to the keybinds, modern matchmaking, automatic saving of replays, etc.), but is supposed to play otherwise identically to the original version. Apparently, it will even be network compatible to the old Brood War (i.e. one player can use the Remaster, the other the original version).

No information about a Mac version, though.

"We do what we must, because we can."
"Gaming on a Mac is like women on the internet." — "Highly common and totally awesome?"

If you pay for the remaster, which will launch on both Mac and PC, you'll get the exact same game logic and content as the original game, only with completely redrawn 2D graphics designed to scale for 4K resolutions and widescreen ratios.[/size]

The plan for the updated StarCraft included Mac all along and the previous D2 and WCIII updates support Mac as I imagine you all know. As such I would be very, very surprised if they did not also release for Mac all things considered, including the fact that there is no technical reason not to unlike what the situation is with Overwatch.

I take it this means remaster or bust? Or are they still releasing the legacy version update that was already in beta last I knew.

What I mean is that just like they updated D2 and WCIII to install and run on modern Mac and Windows operating systems they were also at the same time doing this with StarCraft and it was recently possible to download this updated version in beta form via ftp as I recall from the blizzard classic games forum where I've been following this on and off for a long time as I own all three Battle Chest editions of these games.

So I already have the updated D2 and WCIII games which took my existing registered keys that the downloadable installers from the my account page on Battlenet require.

Going from the same barebones compatibility updates of the other two games to a full blown remaster is news when prior to this a much more modest free upgrade for existing owners has been done twice now and was planned for SC as well it seemed up until now.

So I wonder if they scrapped updating the legacy StarCraft game in the same fashion as the two others they just did or what since last I knew they are still selling the legacy SC Battle Chest on Battlenet. I'll go have a look and see I guess.

The re-release will feature redrawn graphics, that support up to 4k resolutions, widescreen support and a bunch of quality of life improvements (like some changes to the keybinds, modern matchmaking, automatic saving of replays, etc.), but is supposed to play otherwise identically to the original version. Apparently, it will even be network compatible to the old Brood War (i.e. one player can use the Remaster, the other the original version).

So is the 1.18 legacy version compatible with the latest macOS releases? I could see it go Metal right from the start.

I wouldn't rule it out completely, but I would be massively surprised: StarCraft used pure software rendering so far (so not even OpenGL), and as SC:R is apparently simply the same codebase, I'd assume it will, too.

"We do what we must, because we can."
"Gaming on a Mac is like women on the internet." — "Highly common and totally awesome?"

I wouldn't rule it out completely, but I would be massively surprised: StarCraft used pure software rendering so far (so not even OpenGL), and as SC:R is apparently simply the same codebase, I'd assume it will, too.

near as I understand it 1.18 legacy does not support modern macOS yet. This is planned. And then SC:R is planned to have macOS support at release. SC:R and legacy are expected to have cross compatibility.